Races

The races of Iax each have their own unique culture, which lends to their own strengths and weaknesses.

Sylvan Elves

Sylvan Elves are the nature loving people of the forest. Their culture and lore centers around the love of all things brown and green. They are hunters, gatherers, and farmers of the woodlands. Sylvans use magic to encourage plants to thrive. Even their dwellings are woven of living leaves and vines. The sylvans faith tells of the playful spirits of the forest who walk between this world and the next, and the elements of nature that tie the worlds together. Sylvans live in dwellings if living vines trained to weave together as walls.

Sylvan Wilderness

Sylvan elves find strength in their connection with nature. The sylvans are in tune with the very spirit of the earth and plants.

Woodland Stealth

When in the habitat they call home, a sylvan elf can easily find a place to hide from those who would do them harm.

Forage

A Sylvan Elf can always find basic necessities of life in their familiar environment. Be it hunting birds or gathering edible roots, the sylvan shall never go hungry.

Know the Land

A sylvan elf can always read the signs of their beloved land, preventing bewilderment when far from home.

Elven Aging

All elves share a special ability to ride the current of time rather than drown in it. An elf who is content will naturally slow their aging, allowing them to savor the simple joy of life.

Sylvan Weakness: Pain of Spirit

Though the sylvan elves find vitality in their connection to the spirits, it also brings their downfall when faced with the ingenuity of the humans. The human magic known as sorcery causes great distress to the spirit world, and thus its usage brings agony to the sylvan elves.

Abailgloine (Crystal) Elves

While the sylvan elves find their home in trees and earth, the crystal elves find home in rock and stone. Their love for the earth drives them to study and understand it, though never harm or destroy it. Where sylvan magic grows plants, crystal magic tames rocks and minerals. In their glimmering temples they keep records of science, lore, history and magic. Through science, the crystal elves have come to believe the universe was designed by a "Creator," but they are opposed to most religion, believing that science itself is the most accurate bible: it being the Creator's only known work.

Abailgloine Focus

The abailgloine elves have an especial knack for literacy. Their natural talents revolve around books and learning.

Meditation

By focusing their mind and calming their spirit, a crystal elf can regain their strength of spirit when they find themselves drained.

Accelerated Reading

When crystal elves are determined, their thirst for knowledge is insatiable. They begin to pour through books, reading pages in the time it takes others to read sentences.

Focus

The world is full of distraction, but the crystal elves can learn to ignore even the greatest din when a task must be completed.

Elven Aging

All elves share a special ability to ride the current of time rather than drown in it. An elf who is content will naturally slow their aging, allowing them to savor the simple joy of life.

Abailgloine Weakness: Frailty

While adept at learning, the crystal elves lack of exposure to the harsh world leaves their bodies significantly weaker then their woodland counterparts.

Keelit Elves

Living in underground cities in deep caves are the keelit elves. The keelits love themselves above all else, and live lives of elegance, beauty and self-indulgence. They enjoy fictional literature, enchanting artwork, fierce politics and combative commerce. Through weapon innovation and employing the orgs as infantry, the keelit elves enjoy the strongest known military force in the elven world. Their religion believes that they live only one life, so they are obligated to live the most comfortable and enjoyable life possible.

Keelit Politics

Keelit elves have a passion for debate and negotiation. Though their weapons are formidable, their words are far more dangerous.

Double Talk

A keelit elf will debate with a fire and passion unrivaled. An opponent locked in an argument with a keelit elf has very little chance of winning.

Insist

Keelit elves are used to having those beneath them do their immediate bidding. This talent makes them natural leaders and businessmen.

Shadow Meld

Keelits are at home in the darkness and shadows. When they wish not to be seen, it is incredibly easy to simply step into the shadows and be gone.

Dark Racism

The Keelits take comfort in the absolute certainty that their own race is superior to all others. In dealings with 'lesser' races, keelit elves will seldom find themselves intimidated or unaware.

Keelit Weakness: Mistrust

While keelits are skilled at deception and swindling, the skill costs their entire race's credibility. When even a well-meaning keelit ventures from their caves into the world, they will find it difficult to gain the trust of other peoples.

Triadéns

The humans of Triadé are hard working and inventive. They find the most comfort in villages and cities, or in farms situated close to civilization. Agriculture sustains them and industry liberates them. Their greatest strength is their neighbors and their community. They take pride in devout faith of a singly deity, and that faith binds them together as a community and as a nation.

Triadén Empathy

The natural strength of the Triadéns come from their deep spiritual connection to each other. Even their religion is based on this unity.

Don't Die On Me!

A Triadén can keep a mortally injured comrade alive in hopes of reaching medical assistance.

You Can Do It!

With the encouragement of others, seemingly impossible tasks can become possible for a Triadén.

Have Mercy!

Triadéns deeply recognize how precious life is. Almost everyone finds that delivering the killing blow to a helpless human is near impossible.

We Train Together!

Triadéns are always driven to better themselves quickly. Alone, learning new skills can be frustrating. If they train with a trusted ally, however, a Triadén quickly grows adept.

Triadén Weakness: Mortality

Triadén are always aware of the constant flow of the sands of time. Every year that passes in a Human's life reminds them of the approaching inevitability of oblivion.

Nomads (Nomadic Humans)

While it is inherent in most Humans' nature to stay in the safety of a town's wall, the nomads set out to bridge the isolated cities and villages. A nomad tribe are assembled of humans from dozens of cities, and it is common for the members of a single tribe to have hair, skin and eyes of every color humans come in. Nomads trade and transport goods produced by the many human cities, and with no farms of their own, rely on traded goods to survive. Nomads are aware of established religion, but their own beliefs are as diverse as the colors of their skin.

Nomads are the merchants and the goods-carriers of the human world. Nomads are rugged travelers and keen negotiators. They must be jacks-of-all-trades to thrive.

Nomad Versatility

Steadfast Endurance

Being always on the move strengthens a Nomad's resolve, making it easier for them recover their strength when weary.

Unwavering Merchant

The nomads' lifeblood is commerce. Their tribes base their livelihood and culture on the trade and transport of goods. From even their early childhood rhymes, nomads are taught to guard themselves against the lies and trickery of swindlers.

Friend of the Beasts

Nomads tread the land endlessly, connecting all the cultures of humans, and with them always are the bests of burden and game. The nomads share an unparalleled kinship and understanding of beasts.

Whispering Wind

The families of nomads are fractured by distance, but always connected. Through word of mouth or message by bird, a Nomad can always send word to a distant kin.

Nomad Weakness: Wanderlust

Nomads are so accustomed to travel that it has become impossible for them to stay in one place for too long. While stationary, a Nomad finds no true rest.

Felerru (Felpers)

The Felerru (pronounced with a long rolled "r" or by the common misnomer fel-purr or felper) are an occasional sight in elven lands. They live in jungles far to the south and travel to Iax to trade salt and citrus. They are called the "cat people" for their triangular, fur covered ears and long prehensile tails. The Felerru themselves share a kinship with jungle cats. Their religions speak of the predator's love for the pray and passion for the hunt. They fish, hunt, and harvest tropical fruits. Felerru build stone dwellings and temples and write calligraphic poetry. They are also very advanced mathematically and have created complicated celestial charts and calendars.

Feline Grace

The Felerru are a graceful people. Their svelte form and cautious balance grant them unique talent for movement.

Nine Lives

To the causal observer, a Felerru may seem simply impossible to kill. Their grace, balance and instinct give them a special advantage when their own life is at risk.

Hunting Instinct

The felpers are a predatorial culture. Even young children are taught how to hunt for themselves. When they find themselves in a fight, Felerru find they have a natural talent for grappling and subduing an opponent.

Land on Feet

Living in the jungle has unique risks, and every young Felerru has fallen from a tall tree at least once in their life. A felper never panics in free-fall, and instinct always guides them to their feet.

Prehensile Balance

A Felerru's tail is a dexterous and efficient counterweight, granting them almost magical grace as they leap, dash, dodge or climb.

Felerru Weakness: Distraction

Jungle life is uncomplicated. The busy and active world of the elves and humans is difficult for Felerru to keep up with.

Wilder Elves

Wilder tribes are numerous and unique. While they may share traits and weaknesses of the Sylvan or Crystal elves, some tribes have specialized traits.

Orgs

The tragic and lazy monstrosities of the mountains, orgs are cursed to rarely live longer then 20 years old. They cope by living simple and indulgent lives. Their religion instills a literal belief in reincarnation: If Oggud died yesterday and a young org is born a few weeks later, the baby is obviously Oggud. They farm pigs, rabbits, potatoes and mushrooms. Their food and drink is rich, harsh and unhealthy.

Orgish Fortitude

Despite their short life span, Orgs reach maturity quickly. Once fully grown, an org's strong and sturdy form can stand up to a great deal of stress or punishment.

Stand Fast

The difficulty of moving an org who does not want to be moved is legendary. When compared to an org, a mule would seem quite personable indeed and not the least bit stubborn.

Shake It Off

Violence and injury are a part of an orgs life starting from early childhood. Orgs learn that pain really is no big deal at all.

Soak

Orgs are so accustomed to injury that often blows that would incapacitate others seem to do little more then aggravate an org.

Long March

The orgs are the favorite soldiers of the Keelits. Keelit generals learned that orgs can travel for days with minimal food or sleep. They did, however, require a meal and a nap before battle.

Orgish Weakness: Reincarnation

Orgs have no fear of death or killing. Their life span rarely surpasses 20 and even the mildest disease can end an Org's life. Orgish culture copes with this harsh reality by literally believing that on death, they will be reborn an infant in their tribe's home.